What’s the most “ungreen” thing that you do?
Posted on Oct 4, 2007 and filed under Environment
I try my best to lead a green life because I know that at the rate we’re polluting the Earth, we’re probably going to leave our children a very polluted world where clean oxygen have to be bought, or we probably won’t leave our children anything because the Earth would have died by then, whatever that means.
I try to walk around whenever I’m on campus, but not when I needed to get from one end to the other because that will just take too much time. I walk to the grocery store near my house instead of driving there. And I prefer taking public transportation than driving in KL. I use the stairs instead of the lift whenever possible.
I do not use the water heater unnecessarily, in fact, I prefer cold showers :) I switch off all lights and fans and air conditioning units whenever I leave my room/house/office.
I recycle my papers. I print on the reverse side of my papers papers and in the office, I make sure that all my papers can no longer be used before I send them to the recycle bin. I don’t print anything unnecessarily, especially journals, scientific papers, newspaper articles, memos, etc.
I refuse a plastic bag whenever I purchase only a couple of items at the grocery shop. I do not pack my meals in polystyrene boxes whenever I can avoid it, e.g. at the cafeteria on campus. A few of my friends pack their lunch everyday from the cafeteria on campus, and when I asked them one day why didn’t they bring their own lunch boxes instead, they told me that they were too lazy to wash their lunch boxes. Seriously, what do YOU do when your friends tell you *that*?
So I guess the worst thing that I do is that I eat meat. I can’t do without meat. If I had to go vegan for a day, I’d complain before the day ends. Plus, I’m not really a fan of veggies.
Hehehe, this is a good question. And you’re not “green” just because you eat meat. You can eat “green” meat by buying local from a local organic farmer :c) where you can see what they are doing to raise the animals and if the land. This is hard to do if you eat out though, I’m stuck on the eating out thing.
The most ungreen thing I do now is probably not unplugging things like everyone keeps telling me! I do have timers on most of my animals lights. I think the process is hard because my plugs are all hidden for my kids so its a pain to get to them. Will need to figure out some sort of process.
I used to not like veggies that much and I actually was a vegetarian for 8 years! Now I’m not and I love veggies, theres a strange one for you. But I just started out with a few veggies and ate them over and over and tried cooking them in different ways. I found out what liked and how I liked them. Made it easy, plus getting over the fact that everything shouldn’t taste like sugar helped!
GnomeyNewt
Oct 4th at 1:18 pm
I’m guilty as charged for using additional plastic bags when I shop! But I reuse them over and over again. Ok, excuses, excuses I know..
I’ll try to refrain from asking for a plastic bag next time… oh, and I can’t go without meat either.
Giddy Tiger
Oct 4th at 3:32 pm
I don’t know where my chickens come from, Sarah, so I won’t know if they’re “green”, LOL. Plus, easting out is as normal as breathing for me *gulps*
You could do with just unplugging those plugs that are visible and can be reached. When you have done that many times, you will automatically unplug the rest (except for those that are hidden).
pelf
Oct 4th at 3:44 pm
Do you have one of those cloth bags, Joyce? You could put it in your car, and bring it with you whenever you go shopping.
And yeah, it’s also a very good idea to use those plastic bags as rubbish bin bags, so you save from not having to buy rubbish bags :)
pelf
Oct 4th at 3:46 pm
My biggest sin if definitely flying :(
I’m from the Netherlands but have moved to Britain last year, so I fly home about 4 times a year… Alternatives are simply too expensive and I don’t believe in off-setting.
By the way, in the Netherlands, you don’t get plastic bags for free in any supermarket. You can bring your own, buy a ‘bag for life’ for a small charge or reuse boxes.
Renee
Oct 4th at 10:28 pm
Yeah, I’ve read that plastic bags aren’t free in some countries, and I think that it’s a very bold move. I can’t imagine what will happen in Malaysia if the government starts charging a small fee for every plastic bag used.
pelf
Oct 5th at 11:18 am
My big “ungreen” behavior has to be driving. Even though I have a fuel efficient car, and try to consolidate trips, I live outside of town and have to drive to get in. The public transport out to where I live is awful. But I suppose if I rode it (and got my neighbors to as well), it would probably expand its service due to use…
Miranda
Oct 6th at 12:00 am
Oh Miranda, I am guilty for driving too, but I drive only when I have to. I don’t drive i I could get from one place to another within 15 minutes, without getting robbed or hit by a car *gulps*
pelf
Oct 6th at 9:49 am
My worst practice is buying drinks from Sonic, which come in styrofoam cups. I feel like a heel for it, but their drinks are so, so good!
Diana
Oct 7th at 2:40 pm
Mine is liking the lights on. I grew up in a household where every single light in the house is on the second it gets dark. No switching on and off - they’re all just ON!
My partner likes it dim in the house though and has trained me - but that doesn’t stop me loving those lights!
Charlotte
Oct 12th at 7:12 am
Aww, Charlotte, those habits are quite difficult to kick off, aren’t they? Especially since you grew up with them! It would take a lot of determination (and repetition) to make it a habit to switch off the lights when they aren’t in use.
I wish you all the best!
pelf
Oct 12th at 8:41 am
I try to live as green a life as possible but sometimes we get takeaways and sometimes the packaging from the takeaways can’t be recycled.
Crafty Green Poet
Oct 15th at 6:59 pm
Have you tried buying takeaways but using your own lunch boxes?
pelf
Oct 16th at 11:14 pm